Needle support for felting machine

ABSTRACT

A NEEDLE BAR FOR USE IN FELTING MACHINES OR THE LIKE COMPRISING ALTERNATE LAMINATIONS OF METAL STRIPS AND PLASTIC LAYERS. THE NEEDLES EXTEND THROUGH ALIGNED HOLES IN THE METAL STRIPS AND THROUGH THE PLASTIC LAYERS. THE PLASTIC IS HELD UNDER COMPRESSION FOR EXPANDING THE PLASTIC AND THUS SECURING THE NEEDLES IN PLACE.

Sept. 21, 1971 5, D|LQ 3,606,654

NEEDLE SUPPORT=FOR FELTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 22, 1969 FIG. I

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,606,654 NEEDLE SUPPORT FOR FELTING MACHINE Richard S. F. Dilo, Eberbach-Neckar, Germany Filed Dec. 22, 1969, Ser. No. 886,890 Int. Cl. D0411 18/00 US. Cl. 28-4R 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A needle bar for use in felting machines or the like comprising alternate laminations of metal strips and plastic layers. The needles extend through aligned holes in the metal strips and through the plastic layers. The plastic is held under compression for expanding the plastic and thus securing the needles in place.

This invention relates to needle supports for use in securing needles in needle bars of felting machines.

An object is to provide means for firmly securing the needles in a needle bar.

Another object is to provide new and improved means for firmly holding the needles in place while permitting them to be readily removed or replaced as desired.

Another object is to provide a support of the above type which is simple in construction and can be installed in a standard felting apparatus without substantial modification.

Various other objects and advantages will be apparent as the nature of the invention is more fully disclosed.

In one embodiment the needle bar is formed of alternate laminations of metal and plastic foam through which the needles extend. The metal strips are punched to receive the needles and the needles are inserted through such holes in the metal and through the plastic layer or layers. After the needles have been inserted the bar is placed under compression which deforms the plastic and causes the same to grip the needles firmly. When the compressive force is released the needles can readily be withdrawn or replaced.

The nature of the invention will be better understood by referring to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which a specific embodiment has been set forth for purposes of illustration.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a'front elevation of a needle bar for a felting machine embodying the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a transverse section taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1 but on a larger scale, showing the construction of the needle bar.

Referring to the drawing more in detail the invention is shown as embodied in a felting apparatus of the type having a vertically reciprocating plate 10 which is adapted to be reciprocated by suitable means, not shown, in the felting station for causing the :needles to penetrate the web and to be retracted therefrom in a succession of strokes as the web passes through the felting station.

The plate 10 carries a set of needle bars 11, each of which carries a plurality of needles 12 which may be barbed or blunted and are adapted to displace individual fibers in a randomly oriented web 14 as the web is fed over a support plate 15 in the felting station.

Felting apparatus of the above type is well known in the art and only so much thereof has been shown as is necessary for an understanding of the present invention.

Each needle bar 11 is formed with a plurality of metal strips with layers 21 of a plastic material such as a synthetic foam disposed between successive metal strips 20. Each strip 20 is reinforced along its outer edges by ribs 20a, as shown in FIG. 2. The metal strips are perforated for the passage of the needles therethrough.

An additional layer of such foam material 22 is bonded to the lower metal strip 20 and has bonded to its lower surface a metal strip 23. This strip, also, is reinforced by ribs 2312, along its outer edger. The layer 22 and the metal strip 23 are narrower than the strips 20 and the layers 21 to provide flanges 24 which project laterally on both sides of the needle bar. The lower strip 23- is perforated to provide openings in registration with the openings in the strips for the passage of the needles 12 therethrough.

The bars 11 are secured to the under surface of the plate 10 by metal strips 31 and bolts 32 which are threaded into the plate 10. The strips 31 which are disposed between adjacent needle bars 11 extend beyond the bolts 32 to contact the flanges 24 of the two adjacent bars 11. The strips 31 which are disposed to hold the outer flanges of the front and rear needle bars are clamped against a spacer bar 33 which seats in a groove 34 in the protruding surface of the strips 31 so as to prevent the strips 31 from pivoting to an inclined position when the clamping bolts 32 are set to exert pressure on the flanges 24 for compressing the layers of foam 21.

The needles 12 are inserted through the aligned openings in the metal strips 20 and 23 and through the intervening layers of foam material 21 and 22 through which they pass freely. After the needles have been inserted the needle bar 11 is clamped against the under surface of the reciprocating plate 10 by the clamping strips 31 and bolts 32. Suflicient pressure is exerted by the clamping means to compress the plastic layers and to cause them to expand laterally. Such lateral expansion causes the foam material to grip the needles firmly and to hold them in place.

The needles are formed with horizontal flanges 35 which are disposed in a channel 36 in the upper face of the needle bar 11 and is adapted to provide clearance for the flanges 35 of the needles between the upper surface of the bar 11 and the under surface of the plate 10. The needles are thus held against vertical movement by the upper flanges 35 of the needles and are secured against lateral movement by the compressed and compacted layers of plastic foam material. However, they can be readily withdrawn from the needle bar when the bar is unclamped from the plate 10 to release the compressive force on the plastic layers and to expose the top flanges of the needles.

The invention has been described as embodied in a web felting apparatus. However, it is to be understood that the construction is applicable to other types of apparatus wherein a set of needles are carried by a reciprocating needle bar such as tufting, sewing, or embroidery machines.

The layers of foam material may be composed of natural or synthetic rubberlike material such as polyurethane foam or rubber latex.

For machines running at high speeds it has been found that the needle bar 11 must be sufficiently stiff and rigid to prevent flexing at the reversal of the stroke. In such cases the layer 21 of foam material may be replaced by a more rigid light weight material such as cross laminated plywood, or fiber reinforced laminated plywood, or the like. The clamped portion of the bar 11 thus becomes more rigid and is adapted to withstand the forces produced by the sudden reversal of the needle stroke. In that case the plywood layer 21 is drilled with the metal layers 20 to receive the needles. The layer 22 may be composed of a dense type of foam or elastomeric material which is capable of firmly gripping the needles after they have been inserted therethrough and of protecting the needles from shock due to the force produced by the rapid stroke and reversal.

What is claimed is:

1. A needle bar adapted to support a plurality of needles for reciprocation, comprising a reciprocatable support plate, and a needle bar carrying a plurality of needles mounted on said plate, said needle bar comprising a plurality of spaced metal strips with layers of a compressible plastic material laminated between said strips, said strips having aligned openings for the passage of the needles therethrough and through the intervening plastic layers, and clamping means to clamp said bar to said support plate and to place said plastic layer under pressure adapted to cause lateral expansion thereof for gripping the needles which pass therethrough.

2. A needle bar as set forth in claim 1 in which said plastic layer is formed of synthetic foam material.

3. A needle bar as set forth in claim 1 in which said plastic layer is formed of polyurethane foam material.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which said needle bar is clamped to said support plate by a clamping strip extending along opposite sides of said bar.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which the needle bar includes a plurality of metal strips with layers of plastic therebetween and wherein certain of said strips extend laterally beyond other of said strips to form side flanges, and said clamping means engages said side flanges 1 4 to clamp the same against said plate and to exert pressure thereon for deforming said plastic layers 1 '6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 in which said needles are formed with laterally extending top flanges and the upper surface of said needle bar is recessed to receive said top flanges between said needle bar and said plate whereby said needles are gripped against axial movement by said plate.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 in which said clamping means comprises clamping strips engaging the side flanges of adjacent needle bars and threaded means clamping said last strips to said plate.

8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 including spacer strips seated in said clamping strips and conforming in height to said side flanges to hold said clamping strips in position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS LOUIS K. RIMRODT, Primary Examiner 

